A 47-year-old man has turned himself in to York Regional Police following a fatal hit-and-run in Vaughan early Thursday morning.

Police had been searching for a suspect after a female pedestrian was hit by a dark-coloured vehicle just after 6:30 a.m. on Dufferin Street, just south of Rutherford Road.

It’s believed the woman was crossing on the north side of the intersection, at Dufferin Street and Apple Blossom Drive. The force of the collision threw her nearly 20 metres.

The unidentified woman, believed to be 52 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses reported that the driver of the vehicle in question left the scene.

A stretch of Dufferin Street, between Rutherford Road and Ten Oakes Boulevard, was closed in both directions as traffic reconstruction experts investigated. Traffic was rerouted onto residential streets Thursday morning, as backlogs formed on Rutherford Road and Dufferin Street.

Driving conditions were clear and the road was dry at the time of the incident, police noted.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Const. Blair McQuillan of York Regional Police reiterated that remaining at the scene of a collision is a legal requirement, not an option.

“People need to be aware of the fact that they are responsible, they need to stop, they need to render assistance,” said McQuillan. “There are laws surrounding that and there are legal ramifications surrounding failing to remain at the scene.”